Sanitary belt



Sept. 10, 1968 TOSHIKO SAIJO SANITARY BELT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May28, 1965 I HEJVZSNTOR. 703/;1/60 69270 M k4 W1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1968TOSHIKO SAIJO SANITARY BELT Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1965 a:INVENTOR.

5 4 Jos/gzfio fia zzj'o United States Patent 3,400,718 SANITARY BELTToshiko Saijo, 902 Shibakatamonzen, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed May28, 1965, Ser. No. 459,562 6 Claims. (Cl. 128291) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A sanitary belt has a body of fabric stretchable in aplurality of directions and initially of substantially rectangularshape, side portions of the body being folded in to form crescent-shapedlaps over the remainder leaving the body with concave side edges, thelaps abutting centrally of their confronting edges and being securedtogether at the abutting point to form an open-endedpocket with theremainder of the body receptive of a thin impervious shield freelydisposed in the pocket. A half belt is attached to each end margin ofthe body and means connect the ends of the belt together around thewaist of the wearer. Depending leakage preventing flanges are secured tothe concave side edges.

This invention or discovery relates to improvements in a sanitary belt,andmore particularly to a sanitary belt constructed to be a comfortableand form fitting garment for maintaining a catamenia receiver in properposition on the body of a user, although the invention may have otheruses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, many and various types of sanitary belts have beenprovided, but were subject to objections and not as satisfactory as isdesired. Were these formerly known belts equipped with an impermeablepiece of material, such was usually too wide for comfort, and firmlyaffixed to the belt so that it could not be adjusted to the properposition for a particular individual user. In other instances, beltsmade heretofore failed to hold the catamenia receiverfixedly in properposition, tended to leak past the side edges of the crotch portion, werenot as comfortable as desired while in use, and failed to furnish bodysupport in the manner of a girdle.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a simple and yet completely effective sanitarybelt.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a sanitary beltembodying an impermeable member that may readily be adjusted to the mosteffective and comfortable position for an individual user.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary beltwhich functions to hold any type of catamenia receiver, tampons,bandages, napkins, or others, fixedly in proper position againstunintentional movement, maladjustment, or dislodgement.

Also a feature of the invention is the provision of a sanitary belt thatis soft and comfortable to the user, and can be worn effectively evenwhen the user is highly active.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of a sanitarybelt so constructed as to add to the personal appearance of the user byproviding abdominal support in the manner of a girdle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a sanitary beltembodying soft depending flanges that cling tightly to the skin andprevent leakage around the edges of the crotch fitting portion of thebelt.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics, and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from the Patented Sept. 10, 1968 ice following disclosures,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the inside face of a sanitary belt, embodyingprinciples of the instant invention, showing the same in flat position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary enlarged central vertical sectional view takensubstantially :as indicated by the line IIII of FIGURE 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the structure of FIGURE 1 showing the same inposition for use, the body being indicated by dotted lines;

FIGURE 4 is a magnified vertical sectional view through the upperportion of the structure as seen in FIGURE 3 illustrating the clipjoining the elastic belt sections of the garment.

' As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention includes a bodyportion 1 which comprises a fabric stretchable in both directions, whichfabric may be made of organic or inorganic yarns or threads, helancayarn, but which is preferably made of a material such as Spandex withthe elastic threads running in both directions. While the body 1 may befabricated from separate pieces of material stitched together, it ispreferable to utilize a single piece of material, such as a circularknit fabric. Initially this body part is substantially rectangular inshape, and then opposite side portions are folded inwardly over theremainder to form crescent-shaped laps 2 and 3 as seen best in FIGURE 1,and the central portions of these laps are stitched together asindicated at 4, thus forming an open-ended pocket between the laps andthe remainder of the body. The body, if made of circular knit fabric,will be of double thickness, as well as the laps, and in the region ofthe laps the entire body will be of quadruple thickness.

Within the pocket between the laps 2 and 3 and the remainder of the body1, a liquid impermeable shield 5 is freely inserted. This shield may bemade of any suitable thin flexible liquid impervious material, but ispreferably a plastic film of a thickness in the neighborhood of 0.03mm., and which can satisfactorily be made of polyethylene, polyvinylchloride or equivalent material. Being seated freely in the pocketbetween the folds of fabric, the shield 5 may be easily adjusted to themost effective and comfortable position for the individual user of thedevice.

A strip of material 6 is secured, as by a line of stitching 7, to thebody 1 in the central region of each of the concave side edges of thebody. These strips 6 ultimately for-m depending leakage preventingflanges and are also made of material that is stretchable in bothdirections. Preferably, to provide better and more positive engagementwith the skin of the user, each of the strips 6 comprises a layer offabric 8 stretchable in both directions and a body contacting layer 9 ofthermoplastic foam, such as polyvinyl chloride or polyurethane foam,whereby each flange 6 is absorbent of efliuence.

At one end of the body 1 an elastic half belt 10 is secured along thebody margin as by stitching 11. Each end portion of this half belt 10 isreversely folded upon itself as indicated at 12 and secured by stitching13 after being passed through a slot 14 in a securing element or clip 15as seen best in FIGURES 1 and 4. Each clip 15 is provided with a freelydepending tongue 16 having a slightly inwardly turned lower end asindicated at 17.

Another elastic half belt 18 is secured along the opposite end margin ofthe body by stitching 19. Opposite ends of this half belt are alsoreversely bent upon the body of the belt as indicated at 20, and severalrows of stitching 21 are provided to define spaced tunnels 22 in anyselected one of which the prong 16 of the clip 15 may be inserted, as

3 seen in FIGURE 4 so that the two half belts may be connected aroundthe body of the user, the spaced tunnels 22 providing an adjustment toacquire the proper and correct fit. The inwardly turned end or detent 17on the clip prong 17 insures the clip remaining locked in one of thetunnels 22 against accidental dislodgment.

In FIGURE 3, I have illustrated my sanitary belt in proper position foruse on the body 23 of a wearer. It will be noted that due to themultidirectional stretch of the fabric, the sanitary belt snugly andfirmly fits the body. Since all of the fabric is under tension when thedevice is on the body, the device gives abdominal support to the body inthe manner of a girdle, thereby adding to the users appearance. Thestretchability of the fabric permits proper adjustment of theimpermeable member 5 after the device has been put on. The catameniareceiver itself, not shown in the drawings, may be positioned eitherbefore or after the sanitary belt is put on, and such receiver by virtueof the pressure exerted on the users body by the belt will be retainedfixedly in position regardless of the activity of the wearer. From theshowing in FIGURE 3 it will be noted that the two side flanges 6-6intimately engage the thighs, the foam lining of these flanges providinga soft clinging action against the skin. These absorbent flanges aretherefore positioned automatically when the device is put on so as toeffectively prevent any leakage of effluence. Further, it is notnecessary to remove the sanitary belt in order to remove or change thecatamenia receiver. Also, the sanitary belt may be laundered asfrequently as desired without any damage. Once the proper adjustment ofthe half belts around the waist of the wearer is determined, it is notnecessary to release the clips -15 to remove the garment, thestretchability of the fabric permitting removal and replacement of thedevice without the necessity of releasing the clips.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a simple,leakproof, and highly effective sanitary belt. Further, the sanitarybelt is extremely durable and long lived, and may be economicallymanufactured.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a sanitary belt: a body of fabricstretchable in a plurality of directions and initially of substantiallyrectangular shape,

side portions of said body being folded in to form crescent shaped lapsover the remainder leaving the body with concave side edges,

said laps abutting centrally of their confronting edges,

means securing said laps together at the abutting point to form anopen-ended pocket with the remainder of said body,

a thin impervious shield freely disposed in said pocket,

a half belt attached to each end margin of said body,

means to connect the ends of said half belts together around the waistof the wearer, and

a leakage preventing flange freely depending from the central region ofeach concave edge of the body.

2. In a sanitary belt:

a body of fabric stretchable in a plurality of directions and initiallyof substantially rectangular shape,

side portions of said body being folded in to form crescent shaped lapsover the remainder leaving the body with concave side edges,

said laps abutting centrally of their confronting edges,

means securing said laps together at the abutting point to form anopen-ended pocket with the remainder of said body,

a thin impervious shield freely disposed in said pocket,

a half belt attached to each end margin of said body,

means to connect the ends of said half belts together around the waistof the wearer, and

a leakage preventing flange freely depending from the central region ofeach concave edge of the body,

said flanges each comprising a strip of fabric stretchable in aplurality of directions and a layer of absorbent plastic foam bonded toone face of said strip to contact the body of the wearer.

3. In a sanitary belt:

a continuous body part of circular knit fabric stretchable in aplurality of directions and initially substantially rectangular in shapeand capable of supporting the front and rear portions of the abdomen inthe manner of a girdle,

side portions of said body part being folded inwardly over the remainderto provide laps abutting at the center of the body part,

means securing said laps together at the abutting point to form anopen-ended pocket,

an impervious shield freely disposed in said pocket and adjustable atWill relatively to the belt itself, and

means to hold both ends of said body part around the waist of a wearer.

4. In a sanitary belt:

a body part of fabric stretchable in a plurality of directions andhaving concave side edges,

a leak preventing flange extending outwardly from each of said sideedges in the central region of said body,

elastic means to hold the end edges of said body around the waist of awearer, and

a lining of absorbent plastic foam on each of said flanges.

5. In a sanitary belt:

a body having concave side edges,

said body being of fabric stretchable in a plurality of directions,

means forming a pocket on the central portion of said body,

a thin flexible impervious shield receptive of a replaceable catameniareceiver and freely disposed in said pocket and adjustable at willrelatively to the belt itself,

depending leak preventing flanges secured to the margins of said bodyadjacent said pocket, and

elastic means to hold the end edges of said body around the waist of awearer.

6. In a sanitary belt:

a continuous body part of circular knit fabric stretchable in aplurality of directions and initially substantially rectangular in shapeand capable of supporting the front and rear portions of the abdomen inthe manner of a girdle,

side portions of said body part being folded inwardly over the remainderto provide laps abutting at the center of the body part leaving the bodypart with concave side edges,

means securing said laps together at the abutting point to form anopen-ended pocket,

a respective leak-preventing flange extending outwardly from each ofsaid side edges, and

means to hold both ends of said body part around the waist of a wearer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,924,642 8/1933 Frieman 1282882,545,099 3/1951 Mann 128287 3,048,176 8/1962 De Woskin l28-2883,207,158 9/1965 Yoshitake et al 128-291 3,230,955 1/1966 Joa et al128-290 CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Primary Examiner.

